Elongate stabilizers for preventing furniture from tipping

ABSTRACT

Stabilizer for a piece of furniture, such as a dresser or television, includes an elongate portion, a top flap or plate flexibly connected at an upper end of the rigid portion, and a bottom flap or plate flexibly connected at a lower end of the rigid portion. An outer planar surface of the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture while an outer planar surface of the bottom plate is attached to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture. When the stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the location at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer provides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the vertical support surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/304,594 filed Jun. 23, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,162,631,which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a stabilizer for furniture, e.g., adresser, that secures the furniture to a fixed structure, such as awall. The present invention also relates to a stabilizer for furniturethat prevents the furniture from tipping over, for example, onto a childpulling the furniture or a drawer thereof forward, and therebypreventing injury to the child and possible death.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The advent of affordable televisions, or TV, and image displaytechnology such as 4K High Definition, Ultra High Definition, OLED,Smart TV's, LCD liquid crystals. resulted in the introduction of home TVsets that are large. These TV sets resemble more like that of framedpictures than they do the conventional television sets of previousdecades. Further, the excellent clarity and precision of cable andsatellite signal communication and processing, in association with thesenew viewing technologies, has led to larger (taller and wider) andlighter viewing screens.

Typically today the commercially available HD and UHD screens and liquidcrystal displays, because of their thin constructions, are marketed forand installed on walls in a home family room or entertainment area.These installations are complicated and involve not only mounting thescreen on the wall, but also the routing of video and speaker cablingwithin the walls or behind large pieces of furniture. Once installed,the screen is by practical and economic necessity a more or lesspermanent fixture. Further, such installation of the screenaesthetically challenges the arrangement of other furnishings within thechosen room.

Attempts to develop furniture-top stands have been met with onlymarginal success since these taller, longer screens, while thinner, canstill easily monopolize the entire top or shelf of a large piece offurniture to the exclusion of other items or accessories.

Moreover, it is a problem when children are present that the TV caneasily tip over if not adequately secured to the wall or furniture.Injury and possible death of the child can result from a large TVtipping over.

Conventional TV anti-tipping products on the market are often webbingstraps that screw on one end to the threaded screw holes in the back ofthe TV and then are screwed into the backs of the TV stands. Often,there are two straps that tighten up to each other to take up the slackso the TV is secured.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,530,538 (Whalen et al.) describes a for supporting asubstantially flat television screen over a piece of furniture of thetype having an upper surface with spaced apart front and rear edges, anda back. The device comprises a pedestal and an upper support. Thepedestal includes a base for supporting the weight of the screen on afloor surface, a column extending vertically upwardly from the base, anda bracket for connecting the column to the back of the piece offurniture so that the column is held in position against the piece offurniture. The upper support includes a post that is connected to andvertically adjustable with respect to the column, a cantilever supportarm extending forwardly from the vertically adjustable post, the supportarm terminating in a free end, and a screen mounting member connected tothe free end of the support arm for receiving the flat screentelevision. When the device is mounted adjacent the back of the piece offurniture, with the post vertically adjusted to a desired height, andwith a flat television screen attached to the screen mounting member,the flat screen may be supported above the upper surface and at aprescribed point between the front and rear edges of the piece offurniture.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,402,18 (Greed) describes a support device for anappliance that includes a mounting plate having holes and which isattached to a side of the appliance with a fastener extending througheach hole and into a corresponding receiving hole in the appliance. Amounting bracket attaches to a stand structure. A brace is between themounting plate and the mounting bracket. Each hole in the mounting plateaccommodates the receiving hole of a variety of different appliances.

Like large TV's, furniture is equally susceptible to tipping. Furnituretipping accidents and deaths are on the rise. The majority many oftoddler furniture pieces, typically dressers, are anywhere from about 16inches to about 24 inches deep and often toddlers can grab the top ofthe dresser, grab the top drawer of the dresser and even climb into thebottom drawer of the dresser before the parent is aware of this. Topdrawers of these dressers often have heavy contents in them furthermaking the dresser more easy to tip over, which when it occurs, oftenresults in the toddler getting severely hurt, sometimes even rushed tothe hospital and even more worrisome, a tragic death.

Many products on the market currently offer the ability to attach theupper back of a piece of furniture, e.g., a dresser, to the wall orother vertical support behind the dresser with a webbing strap or cableso the tipping issue is caught and restricted before the entire dresserfalls forward. Yet, this can also allow the topmost dresser drawer tofall forward and still cause accidents. Proper fastening of the dresserto the wall poses yet another issue insofar as it is possible that thescrews on the wall or the screws on the dresser are ripped apart whenthe tipping force is too much, especially if the webbing strap or cableis not attached properly in a safe or secure manner and location. Afterall, most dresser backs are very cheaply made with the backs often ⅛″thin pressboard or plywood and the frame is typically ⅝″-¾″ and made ofplywood or even less secure presswood typically used today.

Also, it is possible that the wall mounting was installed without theuse of appropriate hardware such as mollies or lead plugs. If that wereso, it would take little force for the tipping force exerted by thechild or toddler to “rip” a wall-mounting bracket right off the wallthus allowing the dresser to continue its fall. Furthermore, if theframe is presswood, it would not take much force to “rip off” themounting screws securing the webbing or cable to the frame or back.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide astabilizer for a piece of furniture that secures the piece of furnitureto a fixed structure, such as a wall. It is another object of at leastone embodiment of the invention to provide a stabilizer for a piece offurniture that secures the piece of furniture to a vertical supportsurface behind the piece of furniture and prevent tipping of the pieceof furniture away from the vertical support surface, such as may occurwhen a child pulls the piece of furniture forward.

It is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide astabilizer for securing flat screen TVs, which are substantially largerthan in the past, securely to the rear vertical wall behind the TV so asto resist the new substantially larger flat screen TVs from forcefullybeing tipped forward and thus cause injuries and possibly even death toyoungsters.

In order to achieve at least one of these objects and others, astabilizer for a piece of furniture in accordance with the inventionincludes an elongate preferably rigid portion, a top flap or plateflexibly connected at an upper end of the elongate portion, and a bottomflap or plate flexibly connected at a lower end of the elongate portion.In use, a planar surface of the top flap is attached to the piece offurniture by attachment structure at least partly on this planarsurface, and a planar surface of the bottom flap is attached to avertical support surface behind the piece of furniture by attachmentstructure at least partly on this planar surface. Thus, when thestabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above thelocation at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical supportsurface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizerprovides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from thevertical support surface.

For storage and shipping purposes, the elongate portion, top flap andbottom flap may have a flatten or flat state, and they can have aunibody construction. An integral hinge can flexibly connect the topflap to the upper end of the elongate portion, while another integralhinge flexibly connects the bottom flap to the upper end of the elongateportion. The attachment structure may be hook and loop fasteners, e.g.,VELCRO®. To enable attachment of the bottom flap to either a wall behindthe piece of furniture or to a lower part of the same or a differentpiece of furniture, the bottom flap defines opposite planar surfaces onopposite sides of the stabilizer to which the attachment structure maybe attached.

Another version of the stabilizer includes an elongate portion havingopposed ends, a first plate having an inner major surface and an outerplanar surface, a second plate having an inner major surface and anouter planar surface, and two hinges that each pivotally connect arespective end of the elongate portion to the inner major surface of thefirst and second plates. The first plate is operatively attached to thepiece of furniture with its outer planar surface lying against the pieceof furniture and the second plate is operatively attached to a verticalsupport surface behind the piece of furniture with its outer planarsurface lying against the vertical support surface. When the stabilizeris attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the locationat which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface andthe stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer providesresistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the verticalsupport surface.

The hinges may connect the respective end of the elongate portion to acentral area of the inner major surface of the respective plate midwaybetween upper and lower edges of this major surface. The hinges may beintegral or living hinges. Attachment of the outer planar surfaces ofthe plates may be achieved using hook and loop fasteners (e.g.,VELCRO®).

A method for stabilizing a piece of furniture in accordance with theinvention includes providing a stabilizer having an elongate preferablyrigid portion, a top plate flexibly connected to an upper end of theelongate portion, and a bottom plate flexibly connected to a lower endof the elongate portion, attaching the top plate to a rear surface ofthe piece of furniture using first attachment structure on a planarsurface of the top plate, and attaching the bottom plate to a verticalsupport surface behind the piece of furniture using second attachmentstructure on a planar surface of the bottom plate. In one method, abottom edge of the top plate is flexibly connected to the upper end ofthe elongate portion and a top edge of the bottom plate is flexiblyconnected to the lower end of the elongate portion. Alternatively, acentral region of the top plate is flexibly connected to the upper endof the elongate portion and a central region of the bottom plate isflexibly connected to the lower end of the elongate portion. The bottomplate may be attached to a floorboard or wallboard of a wall thatconstitutes the vertical support surface.

Optionally, the stabilizer may be provided with a thin wall having abendable portion at its top adjacent the lower end of the elongateportion and a bendable portion at its bottom adjacent the bottom plate.The bottom plate can then be attached to the vertical support surfacebehind the piece of furniture by bending the thin wall over a top shelfof the piece of furniture such that the bottom plate is alongside anunderside or lower surface of the top shelf and attaches to theunderside or lower surface of the top shelf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, maybest be understood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencenumerals identify like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the manner in which the stabilizer of FIG. 1 isinstalled to secure a television (TV) to a piece of furniture.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the manner in which the stabilizer of FIG.1 is installed to secure a TV to a rear surface of a piece of furniture.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of astabilizer in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view showing another embodiment of a stabilizer of FIGS. 4and 5 shown installed to secure a TV to a piece of furniture.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a child pulling at a piece of furniture, namelya dresser, and the furniture about to tip onto the child;

FIG. 8 is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 1 shown securing a piece offurniture, namely, a dresser, at a lower position to a wall to addressthe tipping situation shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8A is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 1 shown securing a piece offurniture, namely, a dresser, at a more preferable upper position to awall to address the tipping situation shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front view of another embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention that can be used to secure a TV or pieceof furniture to a wall.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the stabilizer shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows the stabilizer of FIGS. 9 and 10 securing a piece offurniture, namely, a dresser, at a lower position to a wall to addressthe tipping situation shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 11A is a view of the stabilizer of FIGS. 9 and 10 shown securing apiece of furniture, namely, a dresser, at a more preferable upperposition to a wall to address the tipping situation shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention in a collapsed state which is also thestate in which the stabilizer will be when installed.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the stabilizer of FIG. 12 in anexpanded state.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a child attempting to tip over a piece offurniture with the stabilizer of FIG. 12 installed in an upperpositioning state, with such tipping being prevented.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a child attempting to tip over a piece offurniture having a television thereon with the stabilizer of FIG. 12installed in an upper positioning state in connection with the piece offurniture and another stabilizer installed in connection with thetelevision, with such tipping of the piece of furniture and also thetelevision being prevented.

FIG. 16 is a view showing the stabilizer of FIG. 12 installed inconnection with the piece of furniture in a lower positioning state.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention shown in a collapsed, use state.

FIG. 18 is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 17 shown in a partlyexpanded state.

FIG. 19 is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 17 shown in a fully expandedstate.

FIG. 20 is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 17 shown in an installedstate.

FIG. 20A is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 17 shown in an installed,partly expanded state.

FIG. 21 is a view of the stabilizer of FIG. 17 shown in an installed,fully expanded state shown preventing tipping of the dresser.

FIG. 21A is an enlarged view of the stabilizer in the state shown inFIG. 21.

FIG. 22 shows two of the stabilizers of FIG. 17 in an installed stateshown preventing tipping of the dresser.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stabilizer inaccordance with the invention in an expanded state.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the stabilizer of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the stabilizer of FIG. 23 in anexpanded state.

FIG. 26 is a view showing the installation of the stabilizer of FIG. 23with a dresser against a wall as an example of a piece of furniture.

FIG. 27 shows the tip resistance provided to the dresser shown in FIG.26.

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of the stabilizer in the state shown in FIG.27.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a stabilizer 10 in accordance with the inventionincludes a central elongate, preferably rigid portion 12, a top flap 14at an upper end of the rigid portion 12 and a bottom flap 16 at a lowerend of the rigid portion 12. Stabilizer 10 can be a flat product sold inthe flat condition shown in FIG. 1 to optimize shipping conditions andplacement into a shipping box. It can have dimensions of about 4 incheswide and about 23 to about 31 inches long. Moreover, the top and bottomflaps 14, 16 can be folded 180 degrees to provide a further reduction inthe length of the stabilizer 10 when packaged.

The rigid portion 12 can have numerous, different forms but it isessential that it be rigid. As shown, the rigid portion 12 has anelongate opening 18 surrounded by ridges or raised ribs 20. Ribs 20 maybe considered reinforcement structure that reinforces the longitudinalrigidity of the rigid portion 12. Other forms of reinforcement structuremay be used in the invention. The raised ribs 20 add a level of rigidityand, if necessary, can be reinforced with added ribbing, or if necessarya steel rod or plate can be over-molded for added sturdiness andstability.

The top flap 14 is hingedly or flexibly connected to the upper end ofthe rigid portion 12 by an integral hinge 22 (see FIG. 1). The integralhinge 22 can have different forms, including what is commonly considereda living hinge, i.e. a hinge formed from the same material as the rigidportion 12 and the top flap 14. The integral hinge 22 is linear andextends in a direction between opposed lateral edges of the stabilizer10.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the integral hinge 22 is configured toenable the top flap 14 to be attached to a TV 24, invariably a rearsurface 26 thereof, and is adjustable to conform to the variable angleof the rear surface 26 of the TV 24 relative to the rigid portion 12.This means that the angle between the top flap 14 and the rigid portion14 is variable when the stabilizer 10 is installed. The angle can be anyreasonable angle, and since the back or rear surface 26 of the TV 24 isusually vertical or close to vertical, and the location 28 on the wallor other piece of furniture 30 to which the bottom flap 16 is to beattached is also vertical or almost vertical, the angle depends in largepart on the distance between the back or rear surface 26 of the TV 24and the location 28 on the wall or other piece of furniture 30 to whichthe bottom flap 16 is to be attached.

The bottom flap 16 is hingedly or flexibly connected to the lower end ofthe rigid portion 12 by a plurality of integral hinges 32 (best seen inFIGS. 1 and 2), or a single flexible member as shown in FIGS. 3-5described below. Each integral hinge 32 can have different forms,including what is commonly considered a living hinge, i.e. a hingeformed form the same material as the rigid portion 12 and the bottomflap 14. Although a plurality of integral hinges 34 are shown, there maybe only a single integral hinge. Each integral hinge 32, e.g., theliving hinges 34, extends linearly and in a direction between opposedlateral edges of the stabilizer 10.

As shown, there are four living hinges so the bottom flap 16 is able towrap around, for example, the back of the top shelf 44 (see FIG. 2) thatcould be as much as ¾ inches in thickness to that about 1.5 inches inthickness. The four living hinges are equally spaced a total of about 4inches from the uppermost to the lowermost hinge, i.e., a spacing ofabout one inch between each pair of adjacent hinges. The flat portion ofthe bottom flap 16 below the lowermost hinge may be about 4″ wide×3″high and is designed to accept VELCRO® or double-sided tape as mentionedbelow.

The integral hinges 32 are configured to enable the bottom flap 16 to beattached to the location 28 on the wall or other piece of furniture 30and are adjustable to conform to the variable angle of the rear surfaceof the location 28 on the wall or other piece of furniture 30 relativeto the rigid portion 12. This means that the angle between the bottomflap 16 and the rigid portion 12 is variable when the stabilizer 10 isinstalled. The angle can be any reasonable angle, and since the back orrear surface 26 of the TV 24 is usually vertical or close to vertical,and the location 28 on the wall or other piece of furniture 30 to whichthe bottom flap 16 is to be attached may also vertical or almostvertical (see, e.g., FIG. 3), the angle depends in large part on thedistance between the back or rear surface 26 of the TV 24 and thelocation 28 on the wall or other piece of furniture 30 to which thebottom flap 16 is to be attached.

In view of the ability to angle the top flap 14 and bottom flap 16relative to the rigid portion 12 as desired, the stabilizer 10 can takemany different shapes when installed. Indeed, it is possible to positionthe TV 24 on the piece of furniture 30, connect the top flap 14 to therear surface 26 of the TV 24 and connect the bottom flap 16 to the backof the piece of furniture (see FIG. 3), and the rigid portion will haveset angles relative to the TV 24 and piece of furniture 30. It is thenpossible to move the TV 24 forward or backward along the upper surfaceof the piece of furniture 30 and the rigid portion 12 will change itsangular orientation relative to the TV 24 and back of the piece offurniture 30. This is all made possible by the presence of the integralhinges 22, 32.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of a stabilizer, designated 10A.Stabilizer 10A has the same features as stabilizer 10, and onlydifferences will be identified. FIG. 6 shows an exemplifying use of thestabilizer 10A.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, instead of a plurality of living hinges 34 as theinterface between the lower end of the rigid portion 12 and the bottomflap 16 as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the interface of thestabilizer 10A may include a thin wall 36 having a hinge or bendableportion 46 at its top and another hinge or bendable portion 48 at itsbottom, each of which might be an integral hinge, one or more livinghinges or simply a thinned portion of material that enables bending ofthe wall 36 relative to the rigid portion 12 and the bottom flap 16. Thebendable portions 46, 48 enables variability in the angular orientationof the rigid portion 12 relative to the top and bottom flaps 14, 16 andthus relative to the rear surface 26 of the TV 24 and surface of thewall or piece of furniture 30 to which the top and bottom flaps 14,16are attached, respectively. The thin wall 36 preferably is dimensionedto have a height corresponding to the thickness of the top shelf 44 ofconventional furniture (see FIG. 6). Exact correspondence to thethickness of a top shelf 44 is not always possible due to differentmanufacturers having different furniture with top shelves of differentthickness, but an approximate dimensioning of the height of the thinwall 36 to the top shelf will improve the securing of the stabilizer 10Aand its functionality.

All features and uses for stabilizer 10 are equally applicable tostabilizer 10A, and vice versa, aside from the differences in the designrelating to the manner in which the bottom flap 16 is attached to therigid portion 12.

Stabilizers 10, 10A may be made of any suitable plastic material and mayhave uni-body construction. It is believed that the only real effectivematerial for one piece living hinges is polypropylene. This means thatthey can be formed from one type of material and manufactured by asuitable material formation technique to have the shape and form asdisclosed and/or illustrated in this application. For example, thestabilizers 10, 10A may be made of polypropylene, although NYLON®plastic might also be suitable, but this identification of materialsdoes not limit the invention. Alternatively, mechanical hinges may beused and hinge means will therefore be considered any type of hinge thatenables relative rotation or pivoting between the parts connected to andon opposite sides of the hinge.

Advantages of the stabilizers 10, 10A are numerous. First, whereas, mostor all current webbing straps for TVs are screwed into a definedthreaded screw location on the rear surface 26 of the TV 24, stabilizers10, 10A provides unlimited locations, both singularly or as a plurality,depending on the size of the TV 24. The further back the TV 24 is placedon the TV stand as an example of a piece of furniture 30, the higherwill be engagement of the stabilizer placement onto the TV 24.Conversely, the further away from the rear surface of the TV stand andcloser to the leading edge of the TV stand, the lower will be theengagement of the stabilizer placement onto the TV 24.

In most if not all instances, placement of the bottom flap 16 will be onthe wall in back of the TV stand, or the bottom surface of a top shelfof the TV stand (if and when present), or the back wall behind the TVstand in which case the stabilizer 10 is installed independent of the TVstand. A pivot point defined between the uppermost hinge between thebottom flap 16 and the rigid portion 12 can remain consistent,irrespective of the placement of the TV 24 on the upper surface of thepiece of furniture 30. The angle directed to the TV 24 of thereinforced, substantially rigid portion 12 is adjusted accordingly.

At its core, the invention is a rigid structure that is securelyfastened to the TV 24 on one side, and fastened likewise to one of atleast three different surfaces or configurations, namely, a back wall ofthe piece of furniture 30 on which the TV 24 is placed, a back bottomsurface of a piece of furniture 30 on which the TV 24 is placed, and awall behind the piece of furniture 30 on which the TV 24 is placed. Eachof these is considered the location 28 at which the bottom flap 16 isattached.

As to the manner in which the top and bottom flaps 14, 16 are attachedto the TV 24 and location 28 respectively, the first and secondattachment means to perform this attachment, 40, 42, respectively, maybe any known means to form a strong bond between two surfaces. In apreferred embodiment, the attachment means 40, 42 compriseadhesive-backed VELCRO® (hook and loop fasteners, or similar product) ordouble-sided or double-faced professional grade foam tape. Theattachment means 40, 42 could be a type of permanent attachment in thatit is extremely difficult to remove. The force against separation mustbe strong enough to prevent a toddler from grabbing the TV 24 andpulling it forward and allowing the TV 24 to tip over. Adhesive andVELCRO® is virtually impossible to remove and professional grade hookand loop fasteners are very tough to separate.

First and second attachment means 40, 42 may thus have two components.One attached to the stabilizer 10, 10A and one attached to the TV 24 orpiece of furniture 30. FIGS. 1-6 show this as components 40A, 40B and42A, 42B.

The size of the top flap 14 and bottom flap 16 may vary depending on thedesired surface area of the first and second attachment means 40, 42. Inone embodiment, the top and bottom flaps 14, 16 each have asubstantially planar surface on that side facing the TV 24 or thelocation 28 on the piece of furniture 30. This planar surface may have asize of about 4 inches square and can receive a 3 inch square or 4 inchsquare or 3×4 inch piece of adhesive-backed VELCRO®.

Note that the bottom flap 16 can be provided with planar surfaces onboth sides because when attached to a rear wall portion of the piece offurniture 30 (see FIG. 3) or to the underside of a top shelf of a pieceof furniture (see FIG. 6), the second attachment means 42 would be onthe same side of the stabilizer 10, 10A as the first attachment means40, i.e., the front-facing side. On the other hand, when attached to arear wall behind the piece of furniture 30, the second attachment means42 would be on the opposite side of the stabilizer 10, 10A as the firstattachment means 40, i.e., the rear-facing side. The second attachmentmeans 42 could be included in a kit with the remaining parts of thestabilizer 10, 10A to enable the installer to install the secondattachment means 42 on the front-facing or rear-facing planar surface ofthe bottom flap 16 depending on the specific installation.

Another advantage of the stabilizer 10, 10A is that they are reusablewhen replacing the current TV, or repositioning the existing TV. Toaccomplish that, the side opposite the mounting TV side will requirereplacement of the attachment means 40, 42 as that engagement should andwill be hard to remove, although one may consider removing it with GooGone® or other adhesive removing products.

Another advantage of the stabilizers 10, 10A is that they do not requirescrews to be attached to the TV 24. Currently, most or all TVtip-prevention products require screwing into the threaded holes on theTV as well as that of the back of the TV cabinet or other piece offurniture on which the TV is supported. Most require two webbedcomponents that allow for tightening the slack. Lack of screws enablesthe top flap 14 to be connected to almost any location on the rearsurface of the TV 24. With screws, installation is limited to theplacement of the webbing straps. By contrast, with both embodiments ofthe present invention, placement can be centered, or off centered shouldthe installer choose to use more than one stabilizer.

Indeed, it is now possible to provide multiple stabilizers 10, 10A toconnect the TV 24 to the piece of furniture 30. If two stabilizers 10,10A are provided, they can be appropriately spaced apart from each otherand apart from the lateral edges of the TV 24 to provide an improvedsecuring of the TV 24 to the piece of furniture 30. As to suggestedplacements, for TVs in the 55 inch or less range may require only onestabilizer 10, 10A, while larger TV can ideally use two, evenly spacedapart stabilizers 10, 10A, spaced apart about 25 inches to about 35inches, for example.

Another advantage over the webbing is the rigidity of the rigid portion12 and the optional raised ribs which constitute reinforcement meansthat resist back-flexing of the TV 24. This minimizes and shouldeliminate a rocking condition as in conventional stabilizers includingwebbed straps, which condition reduces the recoil one may experienceshould a toddler push hard onto the TV 24, which when recoiled can causepossible disengagement of the webbed strap. Moreover, there is simply noneed for adjustable webbed straps since the stabilizer 10, 10A fits mostif not all TVs 24.

Yet another advantage is that installation of the stabilizer 10, 10A toa TV can be accomplished in seconds, as opposed to the timelyinstallation of prior art TV stabilizers that require screwing andpulling the slack to make the TV stand secure.

It is preferred that stabilizers 10, 10A be molded as one piece withweakened living hinges. However, it is also possible to make thestabilizers 10, 10A in sections with mechanical hinges. Furthermore, thestabilizers 10, 10A can be a combination of mixed materials where themain stabilizer member is steel, and the hinged parts are hinged by pinplastic components. The central area, if steel, will further resist theforward and backing rocking of larger, flat screen TVs. This forward andbackward motion (primarily backward) can cause a recoil that may reboundforward and thus disengage mounting support of conventional TVstabilizers with webbing straps resulting in potential injuries.

The stabilizers 10, 10A can be sold along with TVs. They can betailored, designed or configured for specific TVs and sold by themanufacturers of such TVs to consumers when purchasing the TVs.

Methods for stabilizing a TV, representative of any type of componentthat is to be placed onto a piece of furniture, are mentioned above.Generally, in such an exemplifying, non-limiting method, the stabilizeras described above is provided, the top flap is attached to a rearsurface of the component using first attachment structure on a planarsurface of the top flap, and the bottom flap is attached to the piece offurniture or wall behind the piece of furniture using second attachmentstructure on a planar surface of the bottom flap (of which there may betwo on opposite sides of the bottom flap and which one is used dependson the installation, i.e., whether to the furniture or wall). The orderof attachment of the top and bottom flaps is not critical in theinvention. The television is positioned appropriately to ensure a secureplacement on the furniture.

When stabilizer 10A in particular is used, the bottom flap is attachedto the piece of furniture by bending the thin wall 36 over the top shelf44 of the piece of furniture such that the bottom flap 16 is alongsidean underside or lower surface 50 of the top shelf 44 and attaches to theunderside or lower surface 50 of the top shelf 44 via the hook and loopfasteners or double-sided or double-faced tape, or other comparableattachment structure or attachment means. As used herein, attachmentstructure may be considered to be attachment means that include all ofthe disclosed attachment techniques and equivalent and comparabletechniques and products. This same installation is also applicable forstabilizer 10 in which case, the appropriate living hinge 34 is selectedabout which to bend the bottom flap 16 relative to the rigid portion 12to provide for a tight fit of the bottom flap 16 and region of hinges 34against the top shelf 44.

Also, when stabilizer 10A is used, since the bottom flap 16 is providedwith a planar surface on both sides, it is necessary to select whichplanar surface to apply the second attachment structure, e.g., VELCRO®type hook and loop fasteners, to depending on whether the bottom flap 16is to be attached to the piece of furniture (in which case, theattachment structure would be applied to the same, front side of thestabilizer 10A as the first attachment structure for the top flap 14 isapplied to) or to the wall (in which case, the attachment structurewould be applied to the opposite, rear side of the stabilizer 10A as thefirst attachment structure for the top flap 14 is applied to).

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the stabilizers 10, 10A can be used tostabilize a piece of furniture 60 by attaching the piece of furniture 60to a wall 62 (as an example of a vertical structure) behind the piece offurniture 60. In the following description, a dresser will be used as anexample of a piece of furniture 60 with which the stabilizers 10, 10Acan be used. However, use of the stabilizers 10, 10A with the depicteddresser is in no way intended to limit the invention and use of thestabilizers 10, 10A with other types and configurations of dressers andother types of furniture is also considered part of the invention. Forexample, the piece of furniture could be a large television of the typesmentioned above.

FIG. 7 shows the dresser 60 with its uppermost drawer 64 open and achild 66 pulling the open drawer 64 which will cause the dresser 60 totip over and potentially injure or kill the child 66. This situation isremedied by the invention.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a stabilizer 10, 10A in accordancewith the invention is attached at one end region 68 to a rear surface 70of the dresser 60 and at an opposite end region 72 to the wall 62, e.g.,to a floorboard 74 or a bottom molding of the wall 62. The stabilizer10, 10A functions in the same way as described above in that itrestricts the tipping movement of the dresser 60 in view of the mountingto the wall or wooden baseboard 62. This mounting includes an attachmentof the end region 68 to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 byattachment structure disclosed herein and attachment of the end region70 to the wall or wooden baseboard 62 by attachment structure disclosedherein.

FIG. 8A shows a preferred positioning of the stabilizer 10, 10A inaccordance with the invention wherein it is attached at one end region68 to an upper portion of the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and atan opposite end region 72 to the wall 62 (not required to be andunlikely to be at the bottom of the wall 62). It is highly desirable toattach the end region 68 to a location at, flush with and/or as close aspossible to the upper edge of the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60because this will optimally prevent tipping where it starts, i.e., adresser 60 begins to tip from the top. That is, with the positioning ofthe stabilizer 10, 10A as shown in FIG. 8A, resistance to tipping willbegin immediately because the end region 68 is flush with the upper edgeof the rear surface 70 of the dresser, 60, i.e., at the top of thedresser 60.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show an alternative stabilizer 76 that may be used tosecure the dresser 60 to the wall or wooden baseboard 62 instead ofstabilizers 10, 10A as shown in FIG. 8. Stabilizer 76 comprises anelongate, rigid central portion 78, planar or otherwise, and two endregions 80, 82 at opposite ends of the central portion 78 that arehingedly connected to the central portion 78. There may be only a singlehinge 84 between each end region 80, 82 and the central portion 78, ormultiple hinges. If a single hinge is provided, the hinge 84 may beconnected at one end to the central portion 78 and at the opposite endto the adjacent edge of the end region 80, 82, and may be an integral orincorporated living hinge or weakened hinge.

The central portion 78 may function as a supporting strip that may bemade of plastic or metal, or even from cloth or as a fabric strap. Eachend region 80, 82 may have a plate-like form and includes or isconfigured to accommodate attachment structure to enable attachment ofthe end region 80, 82 to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 or theexposed surface of the wall 62, respectively. Once attached, thestabilizer 76 provides resistance to the dresser 60 to tip forward.

This attachment structure may be double-sided adhesive orcooperating/complementary hook and loop fasteners, such as VELCRO® forexample, or other equivalent or comparable attachment structure. Whenthe stabilizer 76 is symmetrical, it will not matter which end region80, 82 attaches to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 or to the wall62.

In one embodiment, the stabilizer 76 may be a resilient strip of plasticwith missing portions providing weakened hinges to provide positivesurface to surface engagement. With such a construction, it is possiblethat the stabilizer 76 can resist tipping of a dresser with the force ofabout 90 to about 120 pounds or more pounds. As an example, thestabilizer 76 may be Polypropylene, NYLON® or ABS plastic strips thatare about 24 inches long, about 2 inches wide and about ⅛ inch thick.For injection molding, since the weakened living hinges 84 preferablyneed to bend a little, the stabilizer 76 can likely be molded in anassortment of plastic substrates. Preferable to provide for suitableliving hinges would be polypropylene. However, the stabilizer 76 couldalso be fabricated with living hinges from ABS or nylon.

One weakened living hinge on each end of the stabilizer 76 ispreferable, but not exclusively required so long as the stabilizer 76 isflexible at some point along its length. An alternative to the livinghinge would be a strap in the middle. Another alternative of thestabilizer 76 includes three pieces with mechanical hinges betweenadjacent pieces. Thus, although a preferred embodiment has a singlestrip or central portion with two weakened living hinges on each endleading to end region configured to accept hook and loop fasteners orother attachment structure, this is not limited and other variants areenvisioned and considered part of the invention.

Attachment of the end region 82 to the floorboard 74 is one possibilityas such a floorboard 74 is often at the bottom of the wall 62 (see FIG.11), adjacent the floor on which the dresser 60 is resting, and haspotentially better strength than the wall 62, especially if the wall 62is a sheetrock wall.

The width of the stabilizer 76 may vary with a wider stabilizer havingmore tip-resistance. The stabilizer 76 may have a length of about 24inches and be about 2 inches wide. The adhesive material used at the endregions 80, 82 may have a size of about 2 inches by 4 inches. Thesedimensions are examples only and do not limit the invention.

In use, two stabilizers 76 may be used for a single dresser 60 as shownin FIG. 11, one on each side of the dresser 60, e.g., one on the leftside and one on the right side. This will improve tip-resistance becausethere would be positive engagement to the left and right dresser ends orend regions. Also, the length of the stabilizer 76 and its portions mayvary as well as its positioning.

Selecting the position of the stabilizer 76 may entail placing the upperend region 80 high against the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 in anapproximate central area, if only one stabilizer is used (although twoare preferable for added safety). If two are used, then locations oneither side of the rear surface 70 would be selected.

In an exemplifying installation, and using complementary pieces of hookand loop fasteners as the attachment structure that connects the endregions 80, 82 to the rear surface of the dresser 60 and the wall 62,respectively, the installer would first attach hook fasteners to thewall 62 (see FIG. 11) at a desired location (using adhesive on theopposite side of a piece of the hook fasteners) and then press the loopfasteners of end region 82 to engage with the hook fasteners on the wall62. The stabilizer 76 would be held upright as the dresser 60 is pushedagainst the wall. The installer would then mark the upper edge of theend region 80 on the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and pull thedresser away from the wall 62. The piece of hook fasteners is thenattached to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 adjacent the markedline thereon (using adhesive on the opposite side of a piece of the hookfasteners). The dresser 60 is then pushed toward the wall 62 with thestabilizer 76 upright, and the piece of loop fasteners on the end region80 engages with the hook fasteners on the rear surface 70 of the dresser60 when the dresser 60 is close to or flush with the wall 62. Theinstaller is able to press hook and loop fasteners at the end region 80together with their hand just before the dresser 60 is against the wall62. Once the stabilizer 76 is installed, tipping the dresser 60 forwardis extremely difficult, especially by a child.

FIG. 11A shows a preferred positioning of the stabilizer 76 inaccordance with the invention wherein it is attached at the upper endregion 80 to an upper portion of the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60and at the lower end region 82 to the wall 62 (not required to be andunlikely to be at the bottom of the wall 62). It is highly desirable toattach the upper end region 80 to a location at, flush with and/or asclose as possible to the upper edge of the rear surface 70 of thedresser 60 because this will optimally prevent tipping where it starts,i.e., a dresser 60 begins to tip from the top. That is, with thepositioning of the stabilizer 76 as shown in FIG. 11A, resistance totipping will begin immediately because the upper end region 80 is flushwith the upper edge of the rear surface 70 of the dresser, 60, i.e., atthe top of the dresser 60.

The same positioning of a stabilizer to be at, flush with and/or closeto the upper edge of the rear surface of the dresser is equallyapplicable to the other embodiments herein. Thus, all of the disclosedstabilizers could be positioned with the upper edge of that portion tobe attached to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 to be flush withthe upper edge of the rear surface 70. This will improve the tippingresistance of the stabilizer. Other positionings, although not possiblyas ideal or optimal, are also within the scope of the invention Otherinstallations techniques are also possible, and would be readilyascertainable by those skilled in the art to which this inventionpertains.

FIGS. 12-16 show another embodiment of a stabilizer 76A in accordancewith the invention which is similar to stabilizer 76 except that insteadof having the hinges 84 at upper and lower edges of the central portion78, at the lower edge of the end region 80 adjacent the central region78 and at the upper edge of the end region 82 adjacent the centralregion 78, there are hinges 84A that are situated along the majorsurfaces of the end regions 80, 82. Also, since end portion or flaps 80,82 are more likely to be in the form of rigid plates and will bereferred to as plates 80A, 82A in the following explanation. All theplastic may be of the same substrate. It could be molded inpolypropylene, ABS and NYLON®.

When the hinges 84A are in a center or central region of the inner majorsurfaces of the plates 80A, 82A (as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13), thestabilizer 76A will have a generally I-shape as shown in FIG. 13 whenexpanded. This expanded state is obtained when the stabilizer is fullyextended as a result of an attempt to tip over a piece of furniture suchas a dresser 60 or a television 24 to which the stabilizer 76A isattached. Otherwise, when installed, the stabilizer 76A will have acollapsed state as shown in FIG. 13 or a partially extended state asshown in FIGS. 14 and 15.

Stabilizer 76A may have a one-piece construction or uni-bodyconstruction. The hinges 84A are formed integral with the centralportion 78 and plates 80A, 82A, and as a result of the positioning ofthe hinges 84A in or near the center of the major surfaces of the plates80A, 82A, the central region 78 is able to pivot in both directionsrelative to the plates 80A, 82A. The center of the major surface of theplates 80A, 82A (see FIG. 12) is that area midway between the upper andlower edges of the plates 80A, 82A, assuming the end portions have arectangular or square shape (other shapes are also possible and notprecluded). In this regard, the plates 80A, 82A may have a size of about2 inches by 5 inches.

Positioning the hinges 84A in the center of the plates 80A, 82A isadvantageous because the pivot area is central to the upper and loweredge of the end portions 80, 82 and when mounting to the piece offurniture (dresser 60) or television 24, there is improved resistance todelaminate from the wall 62 or other vertical support (in contract tothe embodiment wherein the hinges 84 are at the upper or lower edges ofthe plates 80A, 82A, as in stabilizer 76). It will therefore be muchharder to separate the plates 80A, 82A from the wall 62 since it will beforced from the middle making the resistance to initiating separationmuch greater.

As mentioned elsewhere herein, for the piece of furniture such as adresser 60 or television 24 to be secured to the wall 62 or othervertical support surface there may be only a single stabilizer 76A, ortwo or more stabilizers 76A. When two stabilizers 76A are used, they canbe positioned one on each end. An advantage is that while most dressershave cheap backs, by positioning the plate 80A or 82A of each stabilizer76A near or at the edge of the dresser, the likelihood of engaging rigidside walls of the dresser, that are likely wood or even pressed wood, isincreased. By engaging the side wall, it will be possible to grasp the0.75 inch wood, as well as the back panel. The stabilizer 76A can bepositioned to connect an upper region (plate 80A) of the stabilizer 76Aclose to the top to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and the lowerregion (plate 82A) to the wall 62 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) or to connect alower region of the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and engage thewooden baseboard of the wall 62 behind the dresser (FIG. 16). While thelower region could provide a wood-to-wood bonding, the upper region mayprovide a wood-to-painted wall bonding.

FIGS. 17-22 show another stabilizer 86 for the dresser 60 that hindersand ideally prevents tipping of the dresser 60 away from the wall 62when force is exerted by a child. Stabilizer 86 includes two plates orside portions 88, 90 and a central hinged portion 92 that constitutes alimited expansion assembly. As used herein, a limited expansion assemblyis a structure capable of expansion but only to a certain degree. Theexpansion is not unlimited and constrained to allow at most, only aminor amount of expansion (a minor amount of tipping). Moreover, thelimited expansion assembly is not required to have multiple parts butcan be formed from a single part, member or component while havingdifferent portions of this part, member or component function as neededto provide for limited expansion and the attachment or adhesion to thestructure sought to be kept together with only limited separationtherebetween.

Each side portion 88, 90 may have a plate-like form and at least itsrespective outer surface 88A, 90A is planar, this surface being thesurface that is to be adhered or connected to the rear surface 70 of thedresser 60 or to the surface of the wall 62 or other vertical supportagainst which the dresser 60 is to be placed. The side portions 88, 90may thus be plates which are optimally parallel to one another. Theirsize may be about 2 inches by 5 inches, but one skilled in the art wouldappreciate that other sizes are possible and the particular size of theplates or side portions 88, 90 used in the stabilizer 86 depend on, forexample, the size of the dresser 60 and the weight of the dresser 60.

Hinged portion 92 has a plurality of hinges including a first hinge 94that connects the hinged portion 92 on one side to the inner surface 88Bof the side portion 88 and a second hinge 96 that connects the hingedportion 92 on an opposite side to the inner surface 90B of the sideportion 90. To optimize the strength of the stabilizer 86, the hinge 94is ideally positioned in or close to a central region of the sideportion 88 and similarly, the hinge 96 is ideally positioned in or closeto a central region of the side portion 90. This positioning, althoughbeneficial for maximal tipping prevention, is not critical to use of theinvention. The first and second hinges 94, 96 may be living or weakenedhinges.

As best seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, hinge 94 connects the side portion 88to two flaps 98, 100 on opposite sides of the hinge 94. Similarly, hinge96 connects the side portion 90 to two flaps 102, 104 on opposite sidesof the hinge 96. The hinged portion 92 further includes a third hinge106 that connects the flaps 98, 102 on the same side of the hinges 94,96 and a fourth hinge 108 that connects the flaps 100, 104 on the otherside of the hinges 94, 96. Hinged portion 92 thus includes four hinges,although it is conceivable to include a different number of hinges.

The presence of the four hinges 94, 96, 106, 108 enables the stabilizer86 to have the collapsed state shown in FIG. 17 in which its thicknessmay be a little as 0.5 inches. In this state, the flaps 98, 102 areadjacent and possibly against the inner surface 88B of the side portion88, the flaps 100, 104 are adjacent and possibly against the flaps 98,102, respectively, and the flaps 100, 104 are adjacent and possiblyagainst the inner surface 90B of the side portion 90. This 0.5 inchcollapsed state of the stabilizer 86 is approximately the same thicknessas the baseboard or floorboard 74 that is commonly at the bottom ofwalls and therefore the dresser 60 can be pushed against the baseboardof the wall 62 and the stabilizer 86 would occupy the space between therear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and the wall 62 at a location abovethe baseboard.

Hinges 94, 96, 106, 108 also allow the stabilizer 86 to have a limitedexpanded state shown in FIG. 19. In this expanded state, the stabilizer86 will have a thickness of about 5 inches, depending the size andconstruction of the hinged portion 92 and will limit the forward tippingof the dresser 60 when the outer surface 88A of the side portion 88 isattached to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 and the outer surface90A of the side portion 90 is attached to the wall 62.

Stabilizer 86 may have a unibody or one-piece construction integratingor incorporating the four hinges 94, 96, 106, 108 and flaps 98, 100,102, 104.

In use, the stabilizer 86 would include or incorporate attachmentstructure on the outer surfaces 88A, 90A of the side portions 88, 90. Asan example, double-sided adhesive material 126, 128 will be consideredas the attachment structure and is applied to the outer surfaces 88A,90A of the side portions 88, 90, and covered by a pull-off layer (seeFIG. 20 in the installed state). The installer removes the pull-offlayer from the adhesive material 126 on the side portion 90 and pressesthe stabilizer 86 against the wall 62 at a location that will be behindthe dresser 60 when the dresser 60 is in the desired location. Theinstaller then removes the pull-off layer from the adhesive material 126on the side portion 88 and presses the dresser 60 toward the wall 62 andagainst the stabilizer 86, ensuring that the adhesive material 126 onside portion 88 adheres to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 (toprovide the state shown in FIG. 20).

The dresser 60 is thus firmly attached to the wall 62 and tipping isprevented. Any possible tipping is limited the maximum expansion of thehinged portion 92. FIG. 20A shows a state during tipping while FIGS. 21and 21A shows a state where tipping of the dresser 60 is stopped at thefully expanded state of the limited expansion assembly, hinged portion92.

When the stabilizer 86 is symmetrical, it does not matter which sideportion 88, 90 is attached to the dresser 60 and which side portion 88,90 is attached to the wall 62.

As an alternative to double-sided adhesive material 126, 128 (shown inFIGS. 20, 20A, 21 and 21A), the stabilizer 86 can include attachmentstructure on the outer surfaces 88A, 90A of the side portions 88, 90 andattachment structure of placement on the rear surface 70 of the dresser60 and the wall 62, e.g., cooperating hook and loop fasteners with eachpiece of hook and loop fasteners having an adhesive side covered by apull-off layer and the hook fasteners on or adhered to the outersurfaces 88A, 90A of the side portions 88, 90. The installer removes thepull-off layer from the loop fasteners of the attachment structure onthe side portion 88 and presses the stabilizer 86 against the wall 62,the stabilizer 86 being secured to the wall 62 by the adhesive on theloop fasteners and the cooperating hook and loop fasteners on sideportion 88. The installer then removes the pull-off layer from the loopfasteners of the attachment structure on the side portion 90, whilethese loop fasteners are engaged with the hook fasteners on side portion90, and presses the dresser 60 toward the wall 62. The loop fastenersare secured to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 by adhesive. Thedresser 60 is thus firmly attached to the wall 62 via the adhesive andthe cooperating hook and loop fasteners, and tipping is prevented. Anypossible tipping is limited by the maximum expansion of the hingedportion 92.

The stabilizer 86 would typically be situated at or close to the top ofthe dresser 60 for optimum usage and tipping prevention. It could alsobe situated at a different height but its optimum use for tippingprevention would not likely be attained. If a single stabilizer 86 isused, the stabilizer 86 should be placed in a central region of thedresser 60 near its top. If two stabilizers 86 are used, they could beplaced at or proximate each lateral edge of the dresser 60 (see FIG.22). When two are used, if one fails, i.e., the tipping force at thatend of the dresser 60 is greater than the adhesive or securing forceprovided by the stabilizer 86 at that end of the dresser 60, then theother stabilizer 86 could prevent tipping. More than two stabilizers 86may be used and positioning appropriately, as would be readilyascertainable by those skilled in the art to which this inventionpertains.

Another alternative attachment structure to attach the first and secondside portions 88, 90 to the rear surface 70 of the dresser 60 or wall 62may be the combination of apertures in the side portions 88, 90 andscrews dimensioned to pass through or thread through the apertures, ornails. Although using screws or nails may be more difficult thandouble-sided adhesive or hook and loop fasteners, it is possible. Othersimilar attachment structure may be used, for this embodiment as well asthe other embodiments disclosed herein, and all of the above-mentionedattachment structure may be used for the other stabilizers disclosedherein.

FIGS. 23-28 show a variant of the stabilizer of FIGS. 17-22 wherein adifferent expansion assembly is used instead of the hinged assembly 92.In stabilizer 110, the expansion assembly 112 comprises a first plate114, a second plate 116 and a bellows 118 between the first and secondplates 114, 116. As shown, the bellows 118 is connected at its narrowend to the first plate 114 and connected at its wide end to the secondplate 116. The first and second plates 114, 116 may be attached to,integrated into or incorporated into the bellows 118.

The bellows 118 is generally a structure that expands and contracts andto this end includes, for example, telescoping portions 120. With thisstructure, the bellows 118 enables the stabilizer 110 to have a largestthickness when the outer sides of the first and second plates 114, 116are at a maximum distance from one another when fully expanded, shown inFIG. 25, and a smallest thickness when the outer sides of the first andsecond plates 114, 116 are at a minimum distance from one another whenfully compressed or collapsed, shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. The stabilizer110 would advantageously be stored and shipped when in the collapsedstate.

To enable and control expansion, the bellows 118 includes one or moresmall pinhole openings 124 communicating with the cavity 122 defined bythe telescoping portions 120 to slowly allow air to enter or exit (seeFIG. 25). The pinhole opening 124 may be in one of the telescopingportions 120 and/or in the fixed portions that support the telescopingportions 120 at one or both ends of the bellows 118. When air entersinto the cavity 122, there is resistance to fill up with air. This slowresistance resists the jerk of the dresser 60 going forward and tipping.The bellows 118 can be like a diaphragm with the tiny pinhole allows thecollapsible diaphragm to inhale and exhale. If there is a single tinypinhole, inhaling and exhaling, i.e., flow of air into and out of thecavity 122 is slow, and this slow flow during the inhalation assists inthe resistance provided by the stabilizer 110 to forwarding tipping ofthe dresser 60. Conversely, a larger opening will provide faster airmovement into the cavity 122 which may be detrimental to possibledelamination from either the wall 62 or dresser 60.

Additionally, the telescoping portions 120 may be made silicone or TPE(thermoplastic elastomer), and in view of the provided 360 degrees ofsurrounding material, they are strong. The ends of the bellows 118 maybe overmolded in rigid plastic, (preferably ABS, Nylon® orPolycarbonate) which are substantially unbreakable.

Any known type of bellows may be used in the invention, with the solecriteria being that it can expand from a collapsed state and optionallycollapse from its expanded state if repeated use is desired.Construction of a bellows with a plurality of telescoping portions 120and structure to enable expansion and possible contraction or collapseare known and further description is not believed to be necessary toenable the invention to be made.

The plates 114, 116 may have respective outer surfaces 114A, 116A thatare planar, this surface being the surface that is be adhered to therear surface 70 of the dresser 60 or to the surface of the wall 62 orother vertical support against which the dresser 60 is to be placed. Theplates 114, 116 may be parallel to one another. Their size may be about2 inches by 5 inches, but one skilled in the art would appreciate thatother sizes are possible and the particular size of the plates 114, 116used in the stabilizer 110 depend on, for example, the size of thedresser 60 and the weight of the dresser 60.

The ends of the bellows 118 are preferably centered on the respectiveside plate 114, 116, although this is not required. By centering theends of the bellows, the strength of the stabilizer 110 during fullexpansion is believed to be optimized. This positioning, althoughbeneficial for maximal tipping prevention, is not critical to use of theinvention.

With bellows 118, the stabilizer 110 has its collapsed state shown inFIG. 23 in which its thickness may be a little as 0.5 inches. In thisstate, the telescoping portions 120 of the bellows 118 are alongside oneanother and radially inward or outward of each other (see FIG. 23). This0.5 inch collapsed state of the stabilizer 110 is approximately the samethickness as the baseboard that is commonly at the bottom of walls andtherefore the dresser 60 can be pushed against the baseboard of the wall62 and the stabilizer 110 would occupy the space between the rearsurface 70 of the dresser 60 and the wall 62 at a location above thebaseboard.

Bellows 118 also enables the stabilizer 110 to have a limited expandedstate shown in FIG. 23. In this expanded state, the stabilizer 110 couldhave a thickness of about 5 inches, depending the size and constructionof the bellows 118 and will limit the forward tipping of the dresser 60when the outer surface 114A of the plate 114 is attached to the rearsurface 70 of the dresser 60 and the outer surface 116A of the plate 116is attached to the wall 62.

Stabilizer 110 may have a unibody or one-piece construction integratingor incorporating the first and second plates 114, 116 and the bellows118.

Stabilizer 110 preferably includes attachment structure on the outersurfaces 114A, 116A of the plates 114, 116. As an example, double-sidedadhesive material is a suitable attachment structure and is applied tothe outer surfaces 114A, 116A of the plates 114, 116, and covered by apull-off layer. The installer removes the pull-off layer from theadhesive material on the plate 114 and presses the stabilizer 110against the wall 62 at a location that will be behind the dresser 60when the dresser 60 is in the desired location. The installer thenremoves the pull-off layer from the adhesive material on the plate 116and presses the dresser 60 toward the wall 62 and against the stabilizer110, ensuring that the adhesive material on the plate 116 adheres to therear surface 70 of the dresser 60. The dresser 60 is thus firmlyattached to the wall 62 and tipping is prevented. Any possible tippingis limited the maximum expansion of the bellows 118. Note that thestabilizer 110 could be installed in the opposite manner with the plate116 being attached to the wall 62 and the plate 114 being attached tothe rear surface of the dresser 60. The direction in which the bellows118 has its narrow and wide ends is not material to the installation anduse of the stabilizer 110.

As an alternative to double-sided adhesive material, the stabilizer 110can include attachment structure on the outer surfaces 114A, 116A of theplates 114,116 and attachment structure to be placed on the rear surface70 of the dresser 60 and the wall 62, e.g., cooperating hook and loopfasteners with each piece of hook and loop fasteners having an adhesiveside covered by a pull-off layer and the hook fasteners on or adhered tothe plates 114, 116. The installer removes the pull-off layer from theloop fasteners of the attachment structure on the plate 114 and pressesthe stabilizer 110 against the wall 62, the stabilizer 110 being securedto the wall 62 by the adhesive on the loop fasteners and the cooperatinghook and loop fasteners on the plate 114. The installer then removes thepull-off layer from the loop fasteners of the attachment structure onthe plate 116, while these loop fasteners are engaged with the hookfasteners on the plate 116, and presses the dresser 60 toward the wall62. The loop fasteners are secured to the rear surface 70 of the dresser60 by adhesive. The dresser 60 is thus firmly attached to the wall 62via the adhesive and the cooperating hook and loop fasteners and tippingis prevented. Any possible tipping is limited the maximum expansion ofthe bellows 118 (see FIGS. 27 and 28).

The stabilizer 110 would typically be situated at or close to the top ofthe dresser 60 for optimum usage and tipping prevention (see FIG. 26).If a single stabilizer 110 is used, the stabilizer 110 should be placedin a central region of the dresser near its top. If two stabilizers 110are used, they could be placed proximate each lateral edge of thedresser 60. More than two stabilizers 110 may be used and positioningappropriately, as would be readily ascertainable by those skilled in theart to which this invention pertains.

Another alternative attachment structure to attach the first and secondplates 114, 116 to the rear surface of the dresser 60 or wall 62 may bethe combination of apertures in the plates 114, 116 and screwsdimensioned to pass through or thread through the apertures, or nails.Although using screws or nails may be more difficult than double-sidedadhesive or hook and loop fasteners, it is possible. Other similarattachment structure may be used, for this embodiment as well as theother embodiments disclosed herein, and all of the above-mentionedattachment structure may be used for the other stabilizers disclosedherein.

When the attachment structure is adhesive material or hook and loopfasteners, the installer should be able to easily reach into the toparea behind the dresser 60, to slide the stabilizer 110 to its properlocation and then press it tightly to the wall 62 and then to thedresser 60, or vice versa. To ensure proper installation, the installershould tip the dresser 60 forward and further press the first and secondplates 114, 116 against the rear surface 70 of the dresser 70 and thewall 62, respectively, tightly to insure the adhesive material or hookand loop fasteners fully engage both surfaces. Finally, the installershould attempt to tip the dresser 60 forward to insure the resistance ispresent and tipping of the dresser 60 is therefore prevented.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made without departing from the invention inits broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims isto cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for stabilizing a piece offurniture, comprising: providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongateportion, a top plate having an inner major surface and an outer planarsurface on a side of the top plate opposite the inner major surface ofthe top plate, and being flexibly connected to an upper end of theelongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surfaceof the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface andan outer planar surface on a side of the bottom plate opposite the innermajor surface of the bottom plate, and being flexibly connected to alower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along theinner major surface of the bottom plate, the first hinge pivotallyconnecting the upper end of the elongate portion to the inner majorsurface of the top plate and the second hinge pivotally connecting thelower end of the elongate portion to the inner major surface of thebottom plate; attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece offurniture using first attachment structure at least partly on the outerplanar surface of the top plate; and attaching the bottom plate to avertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using secondattachment structure at least partly on the outer planar surface of thebottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical supportsurface at a location below a location at which the top plate isattached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture isalongside the vertical support surface.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein a central region of the top plate is flexibly connected to theupper end of the elongate portion by the first hinge and a centralregion of the bottom plate is flexibly connected to the lower end of theelongate portion by the second hinge.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe top plate is attached to an upper region of the rear surface of thepiece of furniture.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprisingorienting the elongate portion in a vertical orientation prior toattaching the top plate to the piece of furniture and the bottom plateto the vertical support surface.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising orienting the elongate portion in a vertical orientationprior to attaching the top plate to the piece of furniture and thebottom plate to the vertical support surface.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising using hook and loop fasteners as the first attachmentstructure.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using hook andloop fasteners as the second attachment structure.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first hinge connects the upper end of the elongateportion to a central region of the inner major surface of the top platemidway between upper and lower edges of the major surface of the topplate.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second hinge connects thelower end of the elongate portion to a central region of the inner majorsurface of the bottom plate midway between upper and lower edges of themajor surface of the bottom plate.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising configuring the stabilizer to have a flat configuration forstorage and transport in which respective parts of the elongate portionare alongside the top plate and bottom plate.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the step of attaching the top plate to the rear surface of thepiece of furniture using first attachment structure comprises attachingthe top plate at an upper end of the rear surface of the piece offurniture.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching thetop plate to the rear surface of the piece of furniture using firstattachment structure comprises attaching the top plate along a lateraledge of the rear surface of the piece of furniture.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising orienting the elongate portion in avertical orientation prior to attaching the top plate to the piece offurniture and the bottom plate to the vertical support surface.
 14. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: providing an additionalstabilizer having an elongate portion, a top plate flexibly connected toan upper end of the elongate portion, and a bottom plate flexiblyconnected to a lower end of the elongate portion; attaching the topplate of the additional stabilizer to the rear surface of the piece offurniture using third attachment structure on a planar surface of thetop plate of the additional stabilizer; attaching the bottom plate ofthe additional stabilizer to the vertical support surface behind thepiece of furniture using fourth attachment structure on a planar surfaceof the bottom plate of the additional stabilizer; and positioning thestabilizer and the additional stabilizer on opposite lateral sides ofthe rear surface of the piece of furniture.
 15. The method of claim 1,further comprising providing the first and second hinges as integralhinges.
 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing thefirst and second hinges as living hinges that enable the elongateportion to lie against the top and bottom plates.
 17. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: providing an additional stabilizer havingan elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and beingflexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a firsthinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and abottom plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connectedto a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated alongthe inner major surface of the bottom plate; attaching the top plate ofthe additional stabilizer to the rear surface of the piece of furnitureusing third attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate ofthe additional stabilizer; and attaching the bottom plate of theadditional stabilizer to the vertical support surface behind the pieceof furniture using fourth attachment structure on a planar surface ofthe bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the verticalsupport surface at a location below a location at which the top plate ofthe additional stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture when thepiece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface.
 18. Amethod for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising: providing astabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an innermajor surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of theelongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surfaceof the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface andbeing flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by asecond hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furnitureusing first attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate;attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind thepiece of furniture using second attachment structure on a planar surfaceof the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the verticalsupport surface at a location below a location at which the top plate isattached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture isalongside the vertical support surface; and providing the first andsecond hinges as integral hinges.
 19. A method for stabilizing a pieceof furniture, comprising: providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongateportion, a top plate having an inner major surface and being flexiblyconnected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hingesituated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottomplate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to alower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along theinner major surface of the bottom plate; attaching the top plate to arear surface of the piece of furniture using first attachment structureon a planar surface of the top plate; attaching the bottom plate to avertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using secondattachment structure on a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottomplate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location belowa location at which the top plate is attached to the piece of furniturewhen the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface;and providing the first and second hinges as living hinges that enablethe elongate portion to lie against the top and bottom plates.
 20. Amethod for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising: providing astabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an innermajor surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of theelongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surfaceof the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface andbeing flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by asecond hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furnitureusing first attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate;attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind thepiece of furniture using second attachment structure on a planar surfaceof the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the verticalsupport surface at a location below a location at which the top plate isattached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture isalongside the vertical support surface; providing an additionalstabilizer having an elongate portion, a top plate having an inner majorsurface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongateportion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of thetop plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and beingflexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a secondhinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;attaching the top plate of the additional stabilizer to the rear surfaceof the piece of furniture using third attachment structure on a planarsurface of the top plate of the additional stabilizer; and attaching thebottom plate of the additional stabilizer to the vertical supportsurface behind the piece of furniture using fourth attachment structureon a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attachedto the vertical support surface at a location below a location at whichthe top plate of the additional stabilizer is attached to the piece offurniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical supportsurface.